Countdown to graduation

He has lived here nearly all his life and is set to graduate from Mercer Island High School. But Matti Niemesto hasn’t set foot there in two years.

That is because Niemesto, who often goes by Matt for those unfamiliar with Finnish forenames, is a full-time student at Bellevue College through the state’s Running Start Program.

Initiated in 1990, the program is intended to provide students with the option of earning a high school degree and college or university credit simultaneously by taking classes at a public college or university.

After his sophomore year, Niemesto, now 17, decided to “skip the high school culture” and head straight for a college degree. About a week after getting his MIHS diploma, he will walk up to the podium at Bellevue and receive an associate’s degree.

“Mercer Island is like a social blanket,” he said. “It’s nice and safe. When growing up, it’s important to have that protection. But there comes a time when you need to lose that.”

His parents, Juha and Nicola, moved to the United States in 1990 and tried to give Niemesto and his two younger brothers a diverse, multi-cultural upbringing. That included sailing, basketball and playing cello in a group he helps manage called Calliope Ensemble. They’ve also counseled the thrifty Niemesto on managing his money wisely, something that he relies on while Calliope is overbooked this spring, earning the teens a tidy sum of savings and spending money.

So when the opportunity to earn both a high school diploma and a college degree at the same time came along, it seemed too good a deal to pass up.

“I save money. I’ve always been a big saver,” he says, pointing out that his pair of jeans was purchased second-hand. “Money has better uses than for luxuries.”

His mother, Nicola, says her son has always had an independent streak and Running Start suited his personality best.

“[Taking classes at] Bellevue College gave him a lot of freedom,” she said. “He wanted to choose his own classes so he could pursue his interests.”

Niemesto was circumspect about his future, but his short-term goals include a degree from the University of Washington, which he will attend this autumn.

Perhaps his future lies in the green economy, which he cited as a keen interest. He had his 1999 Volkswagen Jetta converted to run on biodiesel last year.

Environmentalism became a concern for Niemesto after living with his family for over a year on their ocean-going sailboat. It was on that trip, which included a voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to reach the United States, that he started to notice the way in which the world is interconnected.

“Like flying fish all over the deck that landed there overnight,” he said. “Or that [the deck] is covered with sand ... coming all the way from the Sahara Desert [in Africa].”

Whatever his choice, Niemesto’s degree from Running Start will most likely help him get there.